ABOUT 700,000 students from various universities have decided to storm Abuja next month to go naked, because of the strike that has kept all of them at home.
This was made known by the Students Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Sylvester Eze, while briefing newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Tuesday.
According to him, the NANS meeting, which is coming up next month, would be an avenue to show the world their grievances by going naked. He explained that they would be having their bath openly and eating openly in all the major streets and roads of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He said President Umaru Yar’Adua made education one of his seven-point agenda, adding that any government that could not develop its human resources through education had no need to continue in office.
He said: “And for failing to carry education along, we hereby pass a vote of no confidence in the president’s seven-point agenda.” Eze pointed out that the benchmark budget for education by UNESCO was 26 per cent, adding that Nigeria had consistently approved budget less than eight per cent for education with this year’s allocation, two per cent, being the worst.
He added “As part of plans to make government sign the agreement, we are mobilising and conscientising students across the federation not to allow the forthcoming U-17 World Cup to be hosted in Nigeria and so we will do all that we can to see that that event does not succeed if we are still at home before it kicks off.”
Meanwhile, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the University of Agriculture, (UNAAB), Abeokuta, took to the streets of the Ogun State capital, on Tuesday morning, protesting the alleged insensitivity of the Federal Government to the demands of the unions.
The peaceful protest virtually brought both vehicular and commercial activities to a halt as the protesters carried placards with various inscriptions asking the Federal Government to implement the agreement, earlier signed with the unions.
The protesters went through major areas like Isale–Igbein, Omida, Oke-Ilewo, and Sapon. The chairman of ASUU, UNAAB branch, Dr. Agboola Adesina, appealed to the Federal Government to go back to the negotiating table with ASUU and sign the agreement on increased funding of the nation’s universities, improved conditions of service for members, among other demands.
The union leader appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on President Yar'Adua, the Education Minister, Dr. Sam Egwu, and Professor Julius Okojie, Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), who were all lecturers in the university system to end the current crisis which has paralysed the nation's universities since June.
Adesina said that ASUU had made spirited efforts to ensure that a conducive atmosphere for learning was created in all the nation’s universities, as he stated that there was enormous decay in physical facilities and that there were no facilities to teach the students.
The ASUU leader pointed out that the Federal Government had failed in the area of meeting the 26 per cent budget recommendation for education by UNESCO as he said that only 1.7 per cent of the current budget was allocated to education.
ASUU, therefore, called on senators, legislators and councillors to ask the Federal Government to sign the ASUU-FG agreement now. SSANU chairman, UNAAB branch, Mr. Olayiwola Salaam, faulted the Federal Government for rescinding the decision agreed on with the union on salary structure, saying that the collective bargaining freely entered into with the union was disclaimed, as it announced a unilateral increase of 40 per cent for ASUU and 20 per cent for other unions.
Salaam explained that the struggle by the unions was not for their personal interests but for all Nigerian youths and the nation at large on the need for qualitative education in the nation’s universities.
In a related development, hope for eventual resolution of the lingering crisis in the nation’s university system came alive on Tuesday with the commencement of the much-awaited renegotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU. The meeting took off at about 7.30 p.m. at the secretariat of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The ASUU executive members of the union, led by its national president, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie were the first to arrive at about 5.30 p.m. and wait for the arrival of the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu.
Others in the team were the Vice Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Fegge; former national presidents, Drs. Dipo Fashina and Abdullahi Sule-Kano, among others.
Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is the mediator, came just before 7.00 p.m., while Dr. Egwu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, chairman of the Federal Government/ASUU Negotiating Team, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode, Director, Tertiary Education, Dr. Jamila Suara and other members of the negotaiting team arrived at 7.27 p.m.
Comrade Oshiomhole apologised for the late commencement of the meeting, saying that it was due to another meeting that was held after the meeting he earlier had with the union.
Oshiomhole, in his remark before the closed door meeting, said the meeting convened to revisit the dispute with the hope to finding amicable resolution to the crisis.
From Joe Nwachukwu and Olayinka Olukoya - 30.09.2009
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